Valve spring lifter



May 29, 1934. w. RUSH VALVE SPRING LIFTER Filed Jan. 25, 1934 William Bush Patented May 29, 1934 UNETED STATES PATENT FFICE 9 Claims.

My invention relates to tools for lifting the valve springs of internal combustion engines and the like, and it primarily has for its object to provide a lifter of an expanding plier type, two parallel members pivoted together and having a handle portion at one end and operating elements at the other end, with a simple, effective and inexpensive means to latch the parallel members together so as to hold the spring compressed.

Further the invention seeks to provide a lifter of the type specified with a latch device whose holding function is augmented by the action of the valve spring under compression and the tool is held in place by the pressure of the valve spring.

'Other objects will in part be" obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends the invention still further resides in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, allof which will be first fully described in the following detailed description and then be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4. is a vertical longitudinal section of the tool showing the position of the parts when in use to compress a valve spring and before the pressure on the handles has been released.

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 4 showing the action on the latch device caused by the force of a compressed valve spring when the squeezing pressure has been releasedfrom the handles.

Figures 6 and 7 are detail views of modifications of the invention.

In the drawing, in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures, 1 and 2 represent a pair of lever members having forked ends 3 and 4 respectively to operate on the valve spring. The levers 1 and 2 have ears All of the foregoing structure is well known and per se is not of my invention.

In applying my invention to the valve lifter structure above described I cut a slot '7 in one of the leverssay the lever 1 the slot being somewhat elongated in the length of the lever. To I a the other lever is secured at 9 what I term a latch carrien This latch carrier 8 may be formed of a channeled member (or U-shaped in cross section) having ears through which the rivet 9 passes, the rivet 9 also passing through the sides of the channeled handle portion of the lever ,2.

The latch carrier 8 is preferably provided with a heel 10 beneath which is located a carrier spring 11 that continuously tends to rotate the carrier 8 in one direction for a purpose presently to appear.

The carrier 8 projects through the slot 7 and to its upper end is pivoted at 13 the latch proper 12. The latch 12 is preferably in the form of a fiat plate which lies within the channel-way of the carrier 8. It is of a width somewhat greater than the width of the projecting body of the carrier 8 so that the outer edge which is provided with the ratchet notches 14 may operatively engage the lever wall 1 at the end 7x of the slot 7. It will be noted that the pivot 9 is preferably offset with respect to the pivot 13 so that the two pivots do not lie in longitudinal alignment with respect to the length of the carrier 8. It will thus be seen that as the spring 11 moves the carrier 8 toward the rear or handle end of the tool the latch pawl 12 by gravity tends to swing in the same direction to a position where it will engage the lever 1 at 7x, this engaging tendency being, of course, augmented by the action of the spring 1]. as the bend of the channel-way of the latch-carrier 8 is brought against the adjacent edge of the latch pawl.

In using the tool the operator places a finger against the upper portion of the lat'ch'devicesay at the point indicated by the arrow mand moves the latch device against the tension of the w spring 11. This releases the latch member 12 from engagement with the edge 7x and enables the handle ends of the levers to be separated and consequently brings the working heads 3 and 4 of the tool together so that they may be slipped beneath the valve spring. The operator then squeezes the handles together, thereby separating the heads 3'and 4 and thereby compressing the valve spring. At the same time'that the handle ends of the levers 1 and 2 are squeezed together the latch 12 will engage the edge 7m and hold the levers 1 and 2 in the position to which they have been squeezed. As soon as the operator lets go of the handle ends of the levers 1 and 2 the pressure of the valve spring tends to bring the forked heads 3 and 4 toward each other and consequently separates the handle ends and causes the carrier to be rocked forward until it engages the forward end of the slot '7 as at 7y, the latch 12 being fulcrumed at 7x and applying somewhat of a toggle force which tends to insure contact between the latch 12 and the point 72s. This prevents any accidental disengagement of the latchwhile the valve spring is under compression.

Instead of constructing the latch device in the manner indicated in Figure 1, it may be constructed as indicated in Figure 6, by referenceto which it will be seen that the latch 12a is held with its notches 4a to engage the edge 72: by means of a spring 15 located within the channel-way of the latch carrier and suitably anchored together as at 16. Or the construction'shown in Figure "7 may be employed. In that figure the spring 1'7 is coiled around the pivot 13. at 18 to the latch-carrier and the other end is anchored at 19 to the latch. In both of these modifications of the invention the action is substantially-the same as in the: first form.

In Figure 6 those parts which are of essentially the same construction asin the preceding figures are given the same reference numeral plus the index letter a; while those in Figure 7 have the same reference numeral plus the index letter b.

Other modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, and I wish it understood that I do not limit myself to the specific structural details shown and described except so far as the same may be specifically mentioned in the claims.

From'the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it is thoughtthat the complete construction, operation and advantages of my invention willbe clear to those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

WhatI claim is:

1.-A valve spring compressor comprising two expansible-plier-type members pivoted together intermediate their ends to provide handle members at one end and working members at the other end, a latch device carried by one of the members and projected through a hole in the other handle member and having notches to engage said other handle member to hold said handle members against separating movement, said latch device comprising a latch carrier pivotedat one end to the handle member which carries it and projecting through the hole in the other member, a notched latch pivoted at one end to the projected portion of said carrier and itself projected through said hole in the handle member and having notches to engage the edge of the handle member at said hole.

2. A-valve spring compressor comprising two expansible-plier-type members pivoted together intermediate their ends to provide handle members at one end and working members atthe other end, a latch device carried by one of the members and projected through a hole in the other handle member and having notches to engage said other handle member to hold said handle members against separating movement, andmeans cooperative with .the pressure of the valvespring that is being compressed to insure the engagement of said latch device with said handle'through which it projects said latch device comprising' a latch'carrier pivoted at one end'to the'handle member which carries it and projecting through the hole in the other member, anotched latch pivoted at one end to the projected portion of said carrier and itself pro One end is anchored jected through said hole in the handle member and having notches to engage the edge of the handle member at said hole.

3. A valve spring compressor comprising two expansible-plier-type members pivoted together intermediate their ends to provide handle members at one end and working members at the'other end, a latch device carried by one ofthe members and projected through a hole in the other handle member and having notches to engage said other handle member to hold said handle members against separating movement, said latch device comprising a latch carrier pivoted at one end to the handle member which carries it and projecting through the hole in the other member, a notched latch pivoted at one end to the projected portion of said carrier and itself projected through said hole in the handle member and having notches to engage the edge of the handle member at said hole, the length of said-hole being greater than the width of said carrier and latch by virtue of which when pressure is applied'to the working ends of said lifter which'tends' to move said ends together and consequentlyto separate the handle members said latch and said carrier will rock on their respective pivots.

4. A valve spring compressor comprising two expansible-plier-type members pivoted together intermediate their ends to provide handle' members at one end and working members at the other end, a latch device carried by one of the members and projected through a hole-in the other handle member and having-notches to engage said other handle member to hold said handle members against separating movement, and means cooperativewith the pressure of the valve spring that is being compressedto insure the engagement of said latch device with said handle through which it projects, said latch device comprising a latch carrier pivoted at one end to the handle member which carries it and'projecting through the holein the other member, a notched latch pivoted atone end to the projected portion of said carrier and itself projected through said hole in thehandle member and having notches to engage the edge of the handle member at said hole, the length of said hole being greater than the widthof-said carrier and latch by virtue of which when pressureis. applied to the working ends-of said lifter which tends to movev said ends together and consequently to separate the handle members said latch and said carrier will rock on their respective pivots.

v 5. A valve spring compressor comprising two expansible-plier-type members pivoted together intermediate their ends to provide handle members at one end and working members at the other end, a latch device carried by one of the members and projected through a hole inthe other handle member and having notches to engage said other handle member to hold said handle members against separating movement, said latch device comprising a latch carrier pivoted at one end to the handle member which carries it and projecting through the hole in the other member, a notched latch pivoted at one end to the projected portion of said carrier and itself projected through said hole in the handle member and having notches to engage the edge of the handle member at said hole, and means continuously tending to rock said latch device to a position operatively to secure'said handle members against separation.

6. A valve spring compressor comprising two expansible-plier-type members pivoted together intermediate their ends to provide handle members at one end and working members at the other end, a latch device carried by one of the members and projected through a hole in the other handle member and having notches to engage said other handle member to hold said handle members against separating movement, said latch device comprising a latch carrier pivoted at one end to the handle member which carries it and projecting through the hole in the other member, a notched latch pivoted at one end to the projected portion of said carrier and itself projected through said hole in the handle memher and having notches to engage the edge of the handle member at said hole, the length of said hole being greater than the width of said carrier and latch in virtue of which when pressure is applied to the working ends of said lifter which tends to move said ends together and consequently to separate the handle members said latch and said carrier will rock on their respective pivots, and means continuously tending to rock said latch device to a position operatively to secure said handle members against separation.

'7. A valve spring compressor comprising two expansible-plier-type members pivoted together intermediate their ends to provide handle members at one end and Working members at the other end, a latch device carried by one of the members and projected through a hole in'the other handle member and having notches to engage said other handle member to hold said handle members against separating movement, latch device comprising a latch carrier pivoted at one end to the handle member which carries it and projecting through the hole in the other member, a notched latch pivoted at one end to the projected portion of said carrier and itself projected through said hole in the handle member and having notches to engage the edge of the handle member at said hole, and means continuously tending to rock said latch device to a position operatively to secure said handle membersagainst separation, said last-named means comprising a heel on said carrier and a spring between said heel and the handle member to which said carrier is pivoted.

8. A valve spring compressor comprising two expansible-plier-type members pivoted together intermediate their ends to provide handle members at one end and working members at the other end, a latch device carried by one of the members and projected through a hole in the other handle member and having notches to engage said other handle member to hold said handle members against separating movement, said latch device comprising a latch carrier pivoted at one end to the handle member which carries it and projecting through the hole in the other member, a notched latch pivoted at one end to the projected portion of said carrier and itself projected through said hole in the handle member and having notches to engage the edge of the handle member at said hole, and a spring continuously tending to move said latch on its pivot to effect an operative engagement between said latch and the handle member through which it passes.

9. A valve spring compressor comprising two expansible-plier-type members pivoted together intermediate their ends to provide handle members at one end and working members at the other end, a latch device carried by one of the members and projected through a hole in the other handle member and having notches to engage said other handle member to hold said handle members against separating movement, said latch device comprising a latch carrier pivoted at one end to the handle member which carries it and projecting through the hole in the other member, a notched latch pivoted at one end to the projected portion of said carrier and itself projected through said hole in the handle member and having notches to engage the edge of the handle member at said hole, and means continuously tending to rock said latch device to a position operatively to secure said handle members against separation, said last-named means comprising a spring mounted within said carrier and engaging with the carrier and the latch.

WILLIAM RUSH. 

